Declaring crypto in Belgium: Box XV vs Box VII — codes 1444, 1440 and 2440 explained

📅 Last updated: 17 May 2026
 ·  🏷 Topic: Box XV miscellaneous income, Box VII movable income, codes 1440/2440/1444, capital gains tax 2026
 ·  🇧🇪 For: Belgian individuals holding cryptocurrencies, staking rewards or a foreign exchange account

⚠️ Warning — high-risk product. The product discussed in this article (cryptocurrencies) is particularly volatile. You may lose more than your initial investment. These products are not suitable for all investors. The FSMA has published public warnings on crypto assets. Do not invest money you cannot afford to lose entirely.

If you hold cryptocurrencies in Belgium, sooner or later one of these questions lands on your plate: which box in Tax-on-Web do I use? And which code belongs there — 1440, 2440, 1444? The answer depends on what you did with that crypto: hold it, sell it, stake it, or actively trade it. Three different types of income land in three different boxes, with three different rates.

This article explains the split for assessment year (AY) 2026 (income year 2025) and gives the position as of 2026-05-17 for what changes from AY 2027 (income year 2026), when the new 10% capital gains tax (CGT) first appears in a tax return. The Law of 6 April 2026 (BS 21 April 2026) entered into force on 1 January 2026, but the definitive box codes for that new levy on the AY 2027 form have not yet been confirmed by an FPS circular as of today.

One thing upfront: this guide is about which box and which code. How to document the snapshot value of 31 December 2025 and how broker withholding works is covered in our guide Meerwaardebelasting 2026: aangifte en Tax-on-Web(NL).

1. Three tax buckets for your crypto

FPS Finance has historically — before the 2026 capital gains tax — applied three tax buckets for private crypto activity. Those three buckets still exist today, and determine which box you fill in on your tax return.

Bucket	When?	Rate	Which box / code?
Normal management of private assets	Buy and hold long-term, no leverage, small fraction of assets	0% on capital gain (before 2026)	Do not file (before 2026); from 2026 → new capital gains tax
Speculative (miscellaneous income)	Frequent trading, leverage, trading software, large share of assets	33% + municipal surcharge	Box XV, codes 1440-15 / 2440-82
Professional	Crypto is main activity or structural income	Progressive 25–50% + social contributions	Box XVII, codes 1600-49 / 2600-19 (profit) — or 1650-33/2650-03 for professional income; consult your return instructions

A separate category exists for passive crypto income — staking, lending, harvesting, yield farming — which the Advance Tax Ruling Service (DVB) has qualified in several rulings (including VB 18 March 2025, no. 2025.0061) as movable income: taxable at 30% in Box VII, code 1444-11 / 2444-78 (Tiberghien — Income from staking, harvesting and liquidity rewards to be declared per DVB (source in Dutch), accessed 2026-05-17). The DVB literally stated that these rewards “are taxable at minimum as income from movable property and capital” and, if they do not fall under that category, qualify as miscellaneous income.

💡 The difference in one sentence. Box XV is for realised capital gain (sale price minus acquisition price) when FPS Finance qualifies your activity as speculative. Box VII is for periodic reward you receive by putting your coins to work (staking, lending). It is not either/or: in the same year you can have entries in both boxes.

The boundary between normal management and speculative is not set by law — FPS Finance assesses this case by case. Practitioner consensus (Tiberghien, Aeacus Crypto Lawyers, Refibo, Konsilanto) applies these signals for “speculative”:

• Frequency of transactions (Aeacus (source in Dutch) indicates 1–2 transactions per month as still within normal management, accessed 2026-05-17) — this is not a statutory threshold and FPS Finance is not bound by it.
• Short holding period (days/weeks instead of months/years).
• Use of trading software, leverage, margin, derivatives.
• Crypto is a large share of total assets (practitioner guideline: > 25–30% indicates speculation).
• Borrowed money for the purchase.
• Active participation in ICOs, DeFi protocols, NFT flips.

None of these signals is decisive in isolation — FPS Finance looks at the overall picture. Those who are uncertain can request an advance tax ruling from the DVB at ruling.commission@minfin.fed.be; such a ruling is valid for one year.

2. Box XV — Miscellaneous income (codes 1440/2440)

Anyone who as a private individual realised speculative capital gains on crypto — sold for euros or stablecoins, or swapped crypto-for-crypto — declares those in Part 2 of the tax return, Box XV — Other miscellaneous income. The first declarant uses code 1440-15, the second declarant (spouse/statutory cohabitant) code 2440-82.

Box XV — Miscellaneous income	Declarant 1	Declarant 2
Gross crypto capital gain (sale price − acquisition price)	1440-15	2440-82
Costs and losses same income year (transaction costs, realised losses)	1441-14	2441-81
Loss carry-forward from the preceding 5 taxable periods	1202-50	2202-29

Rate: 33% + municipal surcharge (average 7%, so effectively ~ 35%; some municipalities go up to 9%). No exemption applies to the gross amount.

Losses within the same miscellaneous income category can be deducted — first against gains from the same income year (code 1441/2441), and what remains can be carried forward for five years (code 1202-50/2202-29). Concretely: a crypto loss in 2025 can still be set against crypto gains from 2026 through 2030. After that it lapses.

⚠️ Losses stay within Box XV and within the category. A crypto loss in Box XV may not be offset against an ETF capital gain (that falls under the new capital gains tax regime from 2026), nor against your employment income in Box IV. Statute and practitioner consensus read article 103 ITC92 (Income Tax Code 1992) such that miscellaneous income is a closed silo. Five independent tax sources read article 103 ITC92 the same way; FPS Finance has issued no circular expressly permitting cross-category offsetting.

What does not go here: passive income from staking or lending — that lands in Box VII (see § 3). And the classic equity or ETF capital gains that before 2026 fell outside all taxation under “normal management” — those did not go in Box XV.

3. Box VII — Movable income (code 1444/2444)

Staking rewards, lending interest, harvesting, liquidity mining, yield farming — in short: everything you periodically receive by making your coins available to a protocol or platform — qualifies per the DVB as movable income (article 17 ITC92). No Belgian intermediary withholds withholding tax on movable income, so you declare it yourself.

Box VII — Income from capital and movable property	Declarant 1	Declarant 2
Other income without withholding tax on movable income (staking, lending, harvesting, yield farming)	1444-11	2444-78

Rate: 30% withholding tax equivalent (flat). No municipal surcharge (Box VII movable income is taxed separately in personal income tax at 30% without an additional municipal surcharge — art. 171 ITC92; consult your return instructions for the exact calculation). No exemption, no loss compensation within this category.

What exactly to declare? The gross value in euros at the moment you receive the reward. A Bitcoin staking reward of 0.001 BTC on 12 July 2025 at a BTC rate of €56,000 = €56. That €56 goes in 1444 (or 2444). The later capital gain or loss on that 0.001 BTC itself — from the moment you receive it — falls in a different bucket: either speculative (Box XV) or from 2026 in the new capital gains tax.

💡 Two types of ‘crypto’ income can co-exist in the same year. You received €800 in ETH staking rewards (Box VII, code 1444) and sold 5 ETH speculatively in December with a €12,000 capital gain (Box XV, code 1440). You declare both — each in its own box, each at its own rate. Deduction of costs happens within the box: transaction costs of the sale belong in 1441, not in 1444.

Mining for those who do it as a hobby is generally in Box VII (1444). Those who mine structurally — with dedicated hardware, regular electricity contracts, ongoing investments — move into professional income (Box XVII), at progressive rates. The boundary is again an FPS Finance assessment.

4. Decision tree: where does my crypto income land?

5. What changes from income year 2026?

On 1 January 2026 the new capital gains tax on financial assets entered into force — Law of 6 April 2026 (BS 21 April 2026). On the tax return this will be visible for the first time on the AY 2027 form (to be filed spring 2027). The law introduces:

• 10% flat rate on realised capital gains on equities, ETFs, bonds, investment funds, derivatives, foreign currencies, investment gold and cryptocurrencies.
• €10,000 annual exemption per taxpayer (indexed from 2027).
• Step-up basis on 31 December 2025 — the market value on that evening is the fiscal acquisition price. You may still invoke the actual historical cost until 31 December 2030 if that is higher.
• Loss deduction within the same income year and within the same category of financial assets (practitioner consensus: crypto loss against crypto gain). Residual loss lapses on 31 December — no carry-forward.

What remains, what changes for the box codes:

Income source	AY 2026 (old regime)	AY 2027 (new regime)
Crypto capital gain normal management	0% (not to be filed)	10% on realised gain above €10,000 exemption — new box (FPS box code on 2026-05-17 still not definitive)
Crypto capital gain speculative	Box XV, 1440/2440, 33% + mun.	Remains Box XV, 1440/2440, 33% + mun. (article 90 ITC92 speculation unchanged)
Staking, lending, harvesting	Box VII, 1444/2444, 30%	Remains Box VII, 1444/2444, 30% (movable income, not affected by the capital gains tax law)
Crypto professional	Box XVII, 25–50%	Remains Box XVII, 25–50%

⚠️ Three critical points for AY 2027. (1) The exact box code for the new 10% capital gains tax on crypto has not yet been published by FPS Finance on 2026-05-17. (2) The normal-vs-speculative boundary remains highly relevant: the difference is 10% vs 33% + mun., on the exact same transaction. (3) A foreign exchange (Binance, Kraken, Coinbase) withholds nothing for you — you remain personally responsible for declaring both capital gains and staking rewards.

For crypto assets there is no broker withholding obligation under the Law of 6 April 2026: the legislator has explicitly limited the source withholding obligation to Belgian intermediaries trading classical financial instruments (equities, bonds, funds). Crypto capital gains (under normal management) must be self-declared — no exchange withholds the 10% on your behalf.

We cover the DAC8 directive (mandatory data exchange between EU member states for crypto platforms — Belgian implementing law still in parliamentary process on 2026-05-17) and how FPS Finance will use that data in our guide DAC8 crypto reporting from 2026.

6. Foreign exchange: Box XIII, code 1075-89 + CAP

Do you have an account on Binance, Kraken, Coinbase, Bitstamp, Bybit or another exchange with its registered office outside Belgium? Then two separate reporting obligations apply, in addition to your income tax return:

1. Box XIII A of the tax return — code 1075-89 (first declarant) or 2075-59 (second declarant). You state the existence of the account, the country (exchange’s registered office) and the holder. No amounts, no exchange rates. Once per account per tax year.
2. Central Point of Contact (CAP) at the National Bank of Belgium (NBB) — one-time registration at https://www.nbb.be via “CAP — report foreign account”. No need to repeat at each tax return — but update if you close the account.

The NBB has announced it will explicitly extend the CAP reporting obligation to crypto platforms from 1 December 2026. Before that date, the reporting obligation depends on the classification of the exchange as a financial institution; consult a tax adviser if uncertain.

(Also note the MiCA transition deadline: from 1 July 2026, crypto platforms offering services in the EU must hold a MiCA licence or have ceased operations. Check whether your exchange is FSMA/ESMA-registered on the FSMA website.)

⚠️ Crucial: you report the account even if there is no gain. The reporting obligation follows the existence of the account, not the gain. A Binance account without any transaction in 2025 must still be declared in Box XIII and with CAP. Penalty for non-reporting: administrative fine (€50–€1,250 per missing entry, art. 445 §1 ITC92) and, where income is also not declared, a tax increase of 10%–200% (art. 444 ITC92). Plus a possible presumption of concealed assets (Practicali (source in Dutch), accessed 2026-05-17).

Instead of an IBAN — which you do not have on a crypto exchange — you state your username or the email address with which your account is registered. A wallet address (on-chain wallet, not an exchange) does not need to be reported — only accounts with an entity that holds assets for you (custodian).

Practical checklist

For your tax return AY 2026 (deadline paper: 30 June 2026; Tax-on-Web: 15 July 2026):

• [ ] Make an overview of all 2025 transactions per exchange. Preferably a CSV export per exchange.
• [ ] Split into three buckets: sales/swaps (potentially Box XV), staking/lending rewards (Box VII), foreign account (Box XIII).
• [ ] Estimate the FPS Finance qualification: is your activity “normal management” or “speculative”? Write down your reasoning (frequency, leverage, % of assets) — keep this with your tax return.
• [ ] For Box XV (speculative): enter gross capital gain in 1440 (declarant 1) / 2440 (declarant 2); costs and losses in 1441/2441; older losses (max 5 years) in 1202-50/2202-29.
• [ ] For Box VII (staking, lending, harvesting): add up the gross euro value of each reward at the moment of receipt → in 1444 (declarant 1) / 2444 (declarant 2).
• [ ] For Box XIII: declare each foreign exchange account (code 1075-89/2075-59); separate CAP report with the NBB if not yet done.
• [ ] Keep for at least 7 years: purchase notes, exchange statements, screenshots of staking rewards, exchange rates on receipt date, normal-vs-speculative reasoning.
• [ ] From AY 2027: also note the market value of your crypto on 31 December 2025 — that becomes your step-up basis for the new 10% capital gains tax. See Foto-waarde 31/12/2025(NL).
• [ ] When in doubt between normal management and speculative: consider a DVB ruling or consult a tax adviser before filing.

Sources & further reading

Primary sources (FPS Finance / legislation):
– FPS Finance — Income from savings and investments (source in Dutch; accessed 2026-05-17).
– Law of 6 April 2026 introducing a tax on capital gains on financial assets — BS 21 April 2026.
– ITC92 article 17 (movable income), article 19 § 1 (interest and other capital income), article 90 1° (speculation as miscellaneous income), article 103 (loss offset miscellaneous income), article 444 (tax increase for non-filing or incomplete declaration), article 445 §1 (administrative fine for non-reporting of foreign accounts).
– National Bank of Belgium — Central Point of Contact foreign accounts (CAP).

Practitioner sources (secondary):
– Tiberghien — Income from staking, harvesting and liquidity rewards to be declared per DVB (source in Dutch; accessed 2026-05-17) — see also VB 18 March 2025, no. 2025.0061 (DVB ruling numbers searchable via ruling.commission.be).
– Aeacus Crypto Lawyers — Do I need to declare my crypto gains in Belgium (source in Dutch; accessed 2026-05-17).
– Test-Aankoop Invest — Tax return 2025: investments, savings, crypto (source in Dutch; accessed 2026-05-17).
– Practicali — Declaring and reporting a foreign account to CAP (source in Dutch; accessed 2026-05-17).
– Finatieq — Crypto and the Belgian tax return (source in Dutch; accessed 2026-05-17).

• Wikifin — Taxes on your Belgian investments (source in Dutch; accessed 2026-05-17).

Further reading on investnow.be:
– Meerwaardebelasting 2026: aangifte en Tax-on-Web(NL).
– Foto-waarde 31 december 2025 voor ETF en crypto: hoe bewijzen voor je AJ 2027-aangifte(NL).
– €10,000 exemption on capital gains: splitting between partners(NL).
– Belgian Investment Taxation (pillar)(NL).

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